Football

ABSTRACT

The improved football contains a sighting device that serves to help either an offensive player or a defensive player to ascertain the direction of flight for the football. The football also contains a contrasting colored, continuous stripe that extends completely around the football in an arcing pattern. When the football is thrown or kicked in a spiral fashion, the sighting device will spin, creating a target with a circular type image at or near the center of the spiral against a contrasting background. Players may then adjust their respective actions based on the their judgments as to whether or when the football will be within their reach.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is generally related to prolate spheroidal sports balls, particularly footballs, and, more particularly, to enhancing the visibility of such balls to the players involved so that they may more readily ascertain the trajectory of the ball in flight.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The game of American football utilizes a football in the shape of a prolate spheroid. Aspects of the game involve players attempting to catch the football while it is in flight from being either thrown or kicked. Offensive football players such as receivers are required to judge the trajectory of a thrown football, accounting for such variables as speed, distance, and direction, when attempting to catch a pass. The defender attempting to prevent the pass must likewise ascertain the trajectory of the ball while deciding whether to attempt an interception or rather to play it safe and knock the ball down. The visibility of the football while in flight affects the ability of the players to catch or defend against a thrown ball.

A football may spin in one of two ways when thrown or kicked, due to its prolate spheroidal shape. The football will usually rotate or spin about the longitudinal axis in a spiral fashion when thrown. A kicked football may either rotate in this same spiral fashion or rotate in an end-over-end manner about the transverse axis. Improved visibility of the football would enhance the ability of the football players to more easily and correctly ascertain the football's direction of flight. For footballs that are spinning in a spiral fashion, it would also be advantageous for the players to be able to more readily ascertain the tightness of the spiral.

The prior art discloses enhancements to a football so that it becomes more visible to both players and spectators and allows the players to ascertain whether the ball is flying in a spiral or an end-over-end fashion. The prior art also discloses orientation markings and devices to assist the player attempting to either throw or kick the football.

Consequently, an enhancement to a traditional football that allows players attempting to catch the football to more readily ascertain the flight trajectory of the football is needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In response to these and other shortcomings of the prior art, an improved football is disclosed. The improved football contains a sighting device that serves to help either an offensive player or a defensive player to ascertain the direction of flight for the football. The improved football also contains a contrasting colored, continuous stripe that extends completely around the football in an arcing pattern. The stripe also serves to aid an offensive player or a defensive player in determining the direction of travel of the football.

Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved football.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the improved football of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the improved football of FIG. 1 from the opposite side of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the improved football of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an end view of the improved football of FIG. 1 from the opposite end of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the improved football of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the improved football of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Various aspects of the improved football, having been summarized above, reference will now be made in detail to the description of the representative assembly illustrated in the drawings. While the improved football will be described in connection with these drawings, there is no intent to limit it to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed therein.

FIGS. 1 through 7 illustrate an improved football 10 that contains a sighting device 12 that serves to help either an offensive player or a defensive player to ascertain the direction of flight for the football 10. The football also contains a contrasting colored, continuous stripe 14 that extends completely around the football 10 in an arcing pattern. The stripe 14 is of any color that contrasts with the color of the main body 22 of the football. The stripe 14 also serves to aid an offensive player or a defensive player in determining the direction of travel of the football 10.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the improved football 10 comprises a conventional football 10 of prolate spheroidal shape having a first end 16 and a second end 18, respectively. The first end 16 and second end 18 each contain a sighting device 12, shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, disposed at the convergence of the seams, that serves as a target for an offensive or defensive player attempting to catch a thrown or kicked football, or for an offensive or defensive player attempting to deflect the football away from another player.

As illustrated in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the sighting device 12 in the preferred embodiment is a cross or plus shape in a red color that contrasts with the remainder of the football 10. It should be apparent that numerous shapes and colors could serve as the target or sighting device 12.

When the football 10 is thrown or kicked in a spiral fashion, the sighting device 12 will spin, creating a target with a circular type image at or near the center of the spiral. Where the target appears in the spiral will depend on the trajectory of the football with respect to the player attempting to receive or deflect the football. A tighter spiral will result in a more compact and precise image inside the contrasting background image created by the football 10. Players may then adjust their respective actions based on their judgment as to whether or when the football will be within their reach.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, and further illustrated in FIG. 4, FIG. 5, FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the improved football 10 contains a continuous stripe 14, in a color that contrasts from the main body 22 of the football, the stripe extending completely around the football 10. The stripe 14 begins on the top of the football 10 between the laces 20 and the first end 16 and continues in an arcing pattern to the middle of the seam on one side of the football 10, then continuing to a location on the bottom of the football 10 near the second end 18 and corresponding to the beginning point on the top location between the laces and the first end, and then continuing around the other side of the football 10 and back to the beginning point. The stripe 14 adds to the visual imagery created when the football 10 is spinning in a spiral or near spiral fashion and aids the player in ascertaining the flight trajectory of the football 10. It should be apparent that the stripe 14 could be made up of numerous colors and patterns.

The sighting device 12 and the stripe 14 are applied to the exterior cover of the football 10 in such a manner as not to impede the normal flight or operation of the football 10. When the football 10 is spinning in a spiral or nearly spiral fashion, the sighting device 12 and the stripe 14 together on the football 10 combine to form a pattern where the sighting device 12 forms a target against a contrasting background. This imagery will somewhat resemble a bull's-eye, though the location of the target within the contrasting background will vary depending on the trajectory of the football 10 in flight together with the positioning of the football players with respect to the football 10. Of course, the shape of the contrasting background created by the football 10 in flight will also vary according to the trajectory of the football and the positioning of the football players with respect to the football 10.

It should be appreciated that the types of imagery created when the football 10 is spinning in either an end-over-end or a wobble fashion will be unique and varied. Examples of such imagery would be oval patterns or stripes against the contrasting background.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments, particularly any “preferred” embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the improved football. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) of the improved football without departing substantially from the principles thereof. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure. 

1-9. (canceled)
 10. A prolate spheroidal football, comprising: a body having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis; a contrasting colored, continuous stripe extending completely around the body in an arcing pattern, a portion of the stripe being perceived as a first circle at a time when the body is spinning about the longitudinal axis in a spiral fashion; and a sighting device on each of a first and a second end of the longitudinal axis of the body, the sighting device contrasting with the color of the body and being perceived as a second circle located inside the first circle at a time when the body is spun about the longitudinal axis in a spiral fashion.
 11. The football of claim 10, wherein the body comprises a plurality of panels and includes a tip at each of the ends of the longitudinal axis formed by an intersection of a plurality of seams between the plurality of panels.
 12. The football of claim 11, wherein the continuous stripe is spaced a distance apart from the sighting device.
 13. The football of claim 11, wherein the continuous stripe does not reach the intersection of the plurality of seams at each end of the body.
 14. The football of claim 10, wherein the football further comprises: a plurality of laces on the outer surface of the body, and the continuous stripe extends from a first location on the body between the plurality of laces and the intersection of the plurality of seams at the first end of the body to a corresponding second location on the bottom of the body near the intersection of the seams at the second end of the body and back to the first location on top of the body between the laces and the intersection of the seams at the first end of the body.
 15. The football of claim 10, wherein the location of the inner circle with respect to the outer circle varies depending on the trajectory of the football.
 16. The football of claim 10, wherein the sighting device is in the shape of a cross.
 17. The football of claim 10, wherein the outer circle forms a ring, and the inner circle forms an enclosed circle.
 18. The football of claim 17, wherein the ring and enclosed circle form imagery resembling a bull's-eye at a time when the body is spun about the longitudinal axis in a spiral fashion.
 19. A prolate spheroidal football, comprising: a body having a longitudinal axis; a continuous stripe extending around the body in an arcing pattern, a portion of the stripe perceived as a ring at a time when the body is spinning about the longitudinal axis in a spiral fashion; and a sighting device on at least one of a first and a second end of the longitudinal axis of the body, the sighting device contrasting with the color of the body, and perceived as being located inside the ring when the football is spun about the longitudinal axis in a spiral fashion.
 20. The football of claim 19, wherein the body comprises a plurality of panels and includes a tip at each of the ends of the longitudinal axis formed by an intersection of a plurality of seams between the plurality of panels.
 21. The football of claim 20, wherein the continuous stripe is spaced a distance apart from the sighting device.
 22. The football of claim 20, wherein the continuous stripe does not reach the intersection of the plurality of seams at each end of the body.
 23. The football of claim 20, wherein the football further comprises: a plurality of laces on the outer surface of the body, and the continuous stripe extends from a first location on the body between the plurality of laces and the intersection of the plurality of seams at the first end of the body to a corresponding second location on the bottom of the body near the intersection of the plurality of seams at the second end of the body and back to the first location on top of the body between the laces and the intersection of the seams at the first end of the body.
 24. The football of claim 19, wherein the location of the sighting device with respect to the ring varies depending on the trajectory of the football when the body is plun about the longitudinal axis.
 25. The football of claim 19, wherein the sighting device is in the shape of a cross.
 26. The football of claim 19, wherein the sighting device forms an enclosed circle where the body is spun about the longitudinal axis in a spiral fashion.
 27. The football of claim 26, wherein the ring and enclosed circle form imagery resembling a bull's-eye at a time when the body is spun about the longitudinal axis in a spiral fashion.
 28. A prolate spheroidal football, comprising: a body having a longitudinal axis; a continuous stripe extending around the body; and a contrasting shape on at least one of a first and a second end of the longitudinal axis of the body, the contrasting shape perceived as being located inside a ring formed by a portion of the continuous stripe when the football is spun about the longitudinal axis in a spiral fashion.
 29. The football of claim 28, wherein the football further comprises: laces on the outer surface of the body; wherein the body comprises a plurality of panels and includes a tip at each of the ends of the longitudinal axis formed by an intersection of a plurality of seams between the plurality of panels, and the continuous stripe extends from a first location on the body between the laces and the intersection of the plurality of seams at the first end of the body to a corresponding second location on the bottom of the body near the intersection of the plurality of seams at the second end of the body and back to the first location on top of the body between the laces and the intersection of the seams at the first end of the body. 